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National Forest Service eases some burning restrictions in Colorado

There are 360-degree views of the Front Range on July 05, 2011, from Devil's Head Lookout in the Pike National Forest near Sedalia. (THE DENVER POST file | RJ Sangosti)

A view from the Devil's Head campground in the Pike National Forest near Rampart Range Road in 2005. (THE DENVER POST file | ANDY CROSS)

Colorado campers and outdoor chefs got some good news Thursday as fire restrictions begin to ease in the wake of recent rains.

Several counties, including Jefferson, Lake and Pueblo, ended their complete bans, and the U.S. Forest Service eased fire restrictions at many Colorado campgrounds.

The Forest Service announced that, effective at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, the fire restriction level was reduced to Stage 1 in much of the Pike and San Isabel national forests.

This means fires will be allowed in developed campgrounds — but only in developed campgrounds — in the Pikes Peak, South Platte, South Park and San Carlos ranger districts.

Also, the Forest Service lifted all fire restrictions in the Salida and Leadville ranger districts.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office announced that beginning 8 a.m. Friday, the county would allow the use of liquid or gas-fueled appliances, approved wood-pellet grills, charcoal barbecue grills not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area, and portable outdoor fireplaces not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area.

However, Jefferson County is still under a Stage 1 Fire Restriction order, which includes fireworks, smoking and open burning.

Those fire restrictions remain in place until further notice.

Lake County and Pueblo County also went to the lesser, Stage 1 ban effective at 5 p.m. Thursday.

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Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is allowing fire on developed campgrounds on the lands it manages in Clear Creek, Custer, Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Jefferson, Las Animas, Park, Pueblo, Saguache and Teller counties.

There are no fire restrictions in the White River National Forest. However, the Rio Grande National Forest in southwest Colorado, where the 109,000-acre West Fork Complex continues to burn, remains under a total ban.

Meanwhile, the two fires burning on Fisher's Peak near Trinidad are now considered a complex.

The Pipeline fire is burning about 70 acres and is zero percent contained. The Crazy fire is about 45 acres in size and 90 percent contained.

Command of the Pipeline Complex will be transitioning to a Type 3 team later Thursday.

In Larimer County, fire crews reached full containment Thursday morning on the smaller of two fires burning in the mountainous area between Estes Park and Loveland.

At 8:30 a.m., the Larimer County Sheriff's Office tweeted that crews reached full containment on the 1.5-acre Pole Hill fire burning in a heavily forested area near Pinewood Reservoir.

Lyons, Forest Service and Larimer County crews continued to battle the nearby 4-acre Hell's Canyon fire, which was 75 percent contained as of early Thursday evening.

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